Electric alarm mechanism.



ELA. TRUAX.

ELECTRIC ALARM MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6 I914.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I Zdzfnzsjasz I fiw/z/wb/r 75 2; W v 074! Zwax THECOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII c c1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnivns'r A. TRUAX, or-iivennwoon, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC ALARM MECHANISM.

ToaZZ whom it may 0011 061% Be it known that I, ERNEST A. TRUA a citizenof theUnited States, residing atlnglewood, in the countyof Los Angeles,State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric Alarm Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification. i

This invention relates toan electric alarm mechanism and particularlypertainstto a time controlled signal apparatus,

It is the object of this invention to provide a clock controlledmechanism by which an alarm can be sounded at any predetermined time,and in which the alarm mechanism can be set to sound either a singlealarm or a number of alarms atdifierent intervals oftime. M

A further object is to provide a clock controlled signal apparatus forsignalingvarioustimes, and to provide a simple and effective means forsetting the apparatus to operate a signal at any predetermined time,

which signal apparatus is especially adapted for use for indicatingtimes of delivery in mercantile establishments.

The invention is illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a detail section in plan, withthe contact maker removed showing the relationof the bus-bars. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, as seen in thedirection indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on theline 4-4 oi -Fig.

*1; Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the elecofabattery 16-,. the otherterminalof which tric circuits and connections whereby the.

13 through the posts on which the hands are mounted may be employedasdesired.

Mountedon the dial. 11 and concentric with the hand supporting posts isan'annular contact member 14, which connects with a conductor 15 leadingto one'ter'minal Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May16, 1914. =Seria1No. 839,034.

battery connects with a conductor 17 leading to a bell magnet18 of anordinary electric bell 19 a conductor 20 leading from the bell magnet 18to the post carrying the hand 12. The hour hand 12 constitutes aconductor ratente'aaan 18, 1916,

and mounted thereon is a brush wiper 21 adapted to traverse a series ofarcuate contact members 22 arranged in a circle on the dial 11-concentric with the annular contact member 14. The contact members 22are spaced apart and are insulated from each other and from the annularcontact member 14. Twelve of these contact members are employed and areso arranged on the dial 11 that their terminations will be disposed onradial lines extending from the center of the dial to the hourindicating characters-thereon in such manner that when the hand 12traverses the dial the wiper 21 thereon will be in contact witha'separate contact member 22 dial. 8 r

Leadingv from each of the contact members 22 is a conductor 23, whichconnects with a horizontally extending bus-bar 24 mounted in a case 25'disposed at any con-V venient point. The bus-bars 24 are twelve innumber and are superposed in relation to, and insulated from, eachother; a bus-bar 24 being provided for each contact 22 and electricallyconnected therewith. The uppermost bus-bar 24 connects with the contactmember 22 which is disposed between the radii leading to. the hournumerals'1 and 2; the next bus-bar 24 connecting with the conbetweeneach hour indicated by the tact 22 extending between the'hour numerale 2and 3,'and so on, throughout the series.

Mounted in the case 25 and spaced from the bus-bars 24 is a series oftwelve vertically extending bus-bars 26 which are spaced apart andinsulated from each other and connecting with each of the bus-bars 26 isa conductor 27 which leads to and connects with a segmental contactmember 28 on the dial 11; a contact member 28 being provided 'for eachvertical bus-bar 26 and arrangedin a circle around the annular contactmember 14 and insulated therefrom and concentric therewith. Thesegmental contacts 28 are of such length as to extend between the radiileading from the center of the dial to the various hour indicatingcharacters' thereon, thus beingtwelve innumber and so positioned thatwhen the minute hand 13 is traversing the dial awiper'contact member .29thereon will be-in connection with a separate contact member 28 betweeneach hour character on the dial. The vertical bus bar 26 at the lefthand side of the case 25 electrically connects with the segmentalcontact 28 disposed between the radii extending through the hourcharacters one and two and the next bus-bar 26 electrically connects with the segmental contact 28 extending between the hour characters twoand three, and so on, throughout the series.

The wiper 29 bridges the gap of insulation between the segmentalcontacts 28 and the annular contact 1 1 and slidably connects with thelatter; the wiper contact 29 being insulated from the hand 13 andadapted to complete electrical circuit from the annular contact member 11 to any one of the segmental contacts 28 when a vertical busbar 26 iselectrically connected to a horizontal bus-bar 24-. This connection ofthe vertical and horizontal bus-bars may be effected in any desiredmanner, whereby any one of the vertical bus-bars can be electricallyconnected with one or more of the horizontal bus-bars. The means foraccomplishing this purpose is shown as consisting of a plurality of arms30 formed of electrical conducting material and having bifurcated ends31 which pivotally engage the bus-bars 24; the forked ends of the arms30 extend ing in opposed grooves 32 formed on the 0pposite sides of thebus-bar, as particularly shown in Fig. 6.

An arm 30 is mounted on each horizontal bus-bar to extend alongside ofeach vertical bus-bar 26 and the arms are normally re tained in avertical position out of contact with V-shaped spring contact members 33formed on the vertical bus-bars 26; a coiled spring 34 connecting witheach arm 30 at one end and secured to the bus-bar 24 at the otheroperating to normally maintain the arm in its uppermost position. Theouter ends of the arms 30 project through slots 35 formed in the faceplate 36 on the case 25 and are bent downwardly to form plates 37 bywhich the arms may be manually manipulated to move them into connectionwith the spring contacts. The plates 37 on the end arms 30 on thebus-bars 2 1 eX- tending alongside of the vertical bus-bar 26 at theleft side of the case 25 are numbered from one to twelve, inclusive,from the top plate to the bottom plate to correspond to the hoursindicated on the clock dial and each horizontal row of the plates 87 isnumbered from five to fifty-five, inclusive, in steps of five toindicate five minute divisions of the hour.

In the operation of the invention, when it is desired to set the deviceto sound an alarm at'any predetermined time, an arm 30 is depressed tomove it into engagement with its corresponding 'spring'contact member:33 Where it. is frictionally engaged -and retained in opposition to thespring 34-, thus electrically connecting the vertical bus-bar 26 and thehorizontal bus-bar 2 1 on which the slotted arm 30 is mounted, thusplacing the circuit on which the slotted bus-bars are mounted incondition to be completed on the sounding of an alarm on the closingthereof as controlled by the hands 12 and 13 ot' the clock.

For the purpose of illustration, let it be assumed that it is desired tosound an alarm at five minutes past seven, the arm 30 on the horizontalbusbar 2% connecting with the conductor 23 leading to the arcuate contact member 22 disposed between the radii leading to the hour characters7 and 8 is depressed and moved into engagement with the vertical bus-bar26 on the conductor 27 leading to the contact segment 28 disposedbetween the radii extending through the hour characters one and tworepresenting the five minute intervals on the clock dial. This operationsets the device in readiness to sound an alarm which is effected whenthe alarm circuit is completed by the hour hand moving the wipers 21thereon into connection with the slotted contact 22 which completes theline from the bus-bar 2 1 to the bell 19 through the hour hand 12 andthe conductor 20; the alarm, however, not being sounded until the minutehand 13 passes the five minute division and moves the contact 29 thereoninto connection with the slotted contact 28 so as to complete thecircuit from the battery 16 through the annular contact 14, contact 29on the hand 13, contact 28 on the dial, thence through the conductor 27,bus-bar 2 1, arm 30, bus-bar 26, conductor 23, contacts 22 and 21, arm12, conductor 20, through the bell 19, back to the battery and conductor17, thus sounding the alarm.

To cut out the alarm the arm 30 through which the alarm circuit iscompleted wilt then be moved to its normal uppermost position out ofconnection with the spring contact 33. Likewise, the device may be setto operate at any five minute interval of time as desired, and may alsobe set to give a succession of alarms at any predetermined time.

This device is particularly advantageous for use in delivery departmentswhere it is desired to make certain deliveries at predetermined times;the device being set to sound out'thezmovement of the hourhand between 7an hour mark on the dial and the succeeding having a series ofcircuitsclosed by the hour hand, and another series closed by the minutehand, the combination of parallel spaced bus bars connected to one ofthe clock controlled series of circuits, keys pivoted to said bus bars,a second set of parallel spaced bus bars connected to the other clockcontrolled series of circuits and arranged at substantially right anglestothe first mentioned set of bus bars, and spring clips on'the secondset of bus bars arranged to receive said piv oted keys. r I

2. In a time controlled signal apparatus having a series of circuitsclosed by the hour hand, and another series closed by the minute hand,the combination of a group of bus bars connected to one of the clockcontrolled series of circuits, a second group of bus bars connected tothe other clock controlled series of circuits and arranged adjacent thefirst mentioned group of bus bars and spaced therefrom, means forconnecting any one of the bus bars of one group With any one of the busbars of the other group, comprising a series of arms pivoted on each ofthe bus bars of one group, and a series of contact members on each ofthe bus bars of the other group adapted to engage said arms, and meansfor normally maintaining said arms out of connection With the contactmembers on the bus bars.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 29th day of April, 1914.

ERNEST A. TRUAX.

Witnesses MARGUERITE BATES, MARIE BATTEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, D. G.

